3 Cheat Codes That Give Your Relationship An Unfair Advantage, According To Psychology
Stop the drama and make the effort for good love.
Are there cheat codes for healthy and happy relationships? A relationship cheat code will allow you to benefit in all areas of your life as individuals share their growth. The great benefit to a relationship is when you make the effort to cultivate these qualities (hacks), you attract the same effort from the other person, who will reflect then it all to you. The hack becomes a regenerative loop of love.
Without these qualities, your relationships will be short-lived and full of drama. If these were easy to put into action there would be a lot fewer single people and a lot fewer divorces. It takes effort, but that's not a bad thing. When you get the benefit of a truly wonderful relationship it's especially sweet because you're getting the fruits of your labors.
Here are 3 cheat codes that give your relationship an unfair advantage, according to psychology:
1. Take responsibility for your thoughts and your actions
You are the person in charge of your life, no one else can live your life for you. You can't control what other people do but you can control how you react to them, as evidenced in research on emotional regulation in relationships. You can no longer use the excuse that someone else's bad behavior excuses your own.
A study on repetitive negative thinking supports how you find yourself stuck in negative thinking in can lead to negative action, and only you can stop it in yourself. Be willing to take responsibility for your part in a relationship. Don't get stuck in the blame game with your partner.
2. Be honest about who you are
Have the courage to be authentic with your partner. If you pretend you're someone you're not to get a person to like you, eventually, you're going to be found out. Authenticity is the only thing you can maintain without effort. You will find it feels so much better to be loved for yourself and not for an image you're trying to project.
3. Always treat your partner with respect
Respect is fundamental to love. The key to bringing respect to your relationships is to first respect yourself. Respect implies equality. You treat your partner as you would want to be treated and how they want to be treated. Respect is taking into account another person's happiness and their right to be who they are. Disdain is the opposite of respect and will kill any feelings of love.
Happy relationships don't happen spontaneously. Relationships are made up of two people who have done some work on themselves. Anyone can be in a relationship but only those who make it a priority and who are ready to stretch themselves will end up in happy relationships that last a lifetime.
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Virginia Clark is a relationship coach with decades of experience, and the author of It's Never Too Late to Marry: How to Have the Man and the Marriage of Your Dreams.